Camera setting device

ABSTRACT

An arrangement for setting camera functions in dependence upon a characteristic of film being used in the camera. The arrangement includes a manually operable setting knob which can be turned to a plurality of settings and is arrested in each by an arresting device. This knob is used when the film cassette employed in the camera has no film-characteristic (e.g., film speed) mark. When the cassette does have such a mark, the insertion of the cassette into the film chamber of the camera causes disengagement of the arresting device and automatic turning of the knob to a position corresponding to the detected mark. Since the knob is visible to the user it serves as an indicator of the film in the camera, whether the camera setting is manually or automatically made.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a camera setting device.

More particularly, it relates to an arrangement for setting a camera independence upon the speed or other characteristics of film being used inthe camera.

2. The Prior Art

A major source of errors in the use of cameras, leading to spoiledpictures, is the use of the wrong type of film for a particularapplication. For example, if the camera user selects a certain lensopening and/or exposure time, being unaware that the camera is loadedwith a type of film not suitable for these, the resulting picture willalmost certainly be spoiled.

To avoid such problems it has been proposed to provide cameras with amechanical feeler which senses a film sensitivity mark that is fixedlyformed on a film cartridge or film cassette. Such devices are disclosedin German Pat. Nos. 1,216,682 and 864,803, as well as in GermanPublished Application No. 1,447,486. The actual setting of the cameravariables (aperture size; exposure time), based upon the detected filmsensitivity, is as a rule effected manually by the user, since to datethere has been no standardization of film-sensitivity marks oncartridges or cassettes, and of camera-mounted sensors which arecompatible therewith. Therefore, most film-sensitivity-dependent-camerasettings continue to be made by hand.

In the commonly owned application of Otto Stemme et al., Ser. No.928,415, filed July 26, 1978, a film-characteristic indicator has beenproposed which can be releasably connected with a film cassette, butonly in a predetermined orientation relative thereto. This indicator hasa mark indicative of a characteristic (i.e., usually speed) of the filmin the cassette and the mark can be scanned by the camera scanningarrangement. When a cassette provided with such an indicator is insertedinto a camera having appropriate scanning arrangement, the camerafunctions are automatically set for the detected film characteristic.This arrangement has only one drawback, namely that it does not permitmanual setting of the camera functions in question, if for some reason afilm cassette is used which does not have the indicator connected to it.Since this may sometimes be unavoidable, correction of this drawback isimportant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to correct theaforementioned drawback.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide anarrangement wherein the film-characteristic-dependent settings of acamera can be carried out manually, as well as an automatic response tothe insertion into the camera of a film cassette having afilm-characteristic indicator thereon. This permits the camera to be setby hand when a cassette is used without such an indicator.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an arrangement whichvisually indicates to a user the characteristic of a film in the camera,when the camera functions have been set in automatic response toinsertion of a cassette into the camera.

A concomitant object is to provide an arrangement of the type underdiscussion, which is relatively simple in its construction and thereforereliable in operation.

Still a further object is for the arrangement to be inexpensive.

In keeping with these objects, and with others which will becomeapparent hereafter, one feature of the invention resides in a camera, acombination comprising a housing having a chamber for a film container;manually operable means for setting at least one camera function independence upon a characteristic of film being used in the camera;scanning means for scanning a film container introduced into the camerato determine the presence or absence of a film-characteristic mark onthe container; and means for operating the manually operable means inresponse to detection of the presence of a film-characteristic mark onthe container, and as a function of the characteristic indicated by thedetected mark.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The sole FIGURE is a fragmentary, partly broken-away, perspective viewillustrating one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the FIGURE the reference numeral 1 designates a fragmentarilyillustrated camera housing, which is in part broken away to show one endof a film chamber 2 for a film cassette 16. The walls bounding thechamber 2 are formed with openings 3, 3' through which portions of twocontrol levers 4, 5 extend from outside into the chamber 2.

The lever 4 has projections 6, 7 and 8 of one piece therewith and ispressed against a wall bounding the chamber 2 by a (not illustrated)biasing means, e.g., a spring, in the direction indicated by the arrow14. Accordingly, the projection 6 extends through the opening 3 intochamber 2 and the projection 8 enters into a receiver (recess) 15 formedin the housing 1.

Also mounted on the housing 1, on the outside thereof, is a turnableknurled knob 10 provided with indicia which are e.g., indicative of thespeed of film being used in the camera. This knob 10 can be turnedmanually, to set e.g., the film speed in question and hence may beconsidered to constitute manually operable means. It is held in theselected setting by arresting means provided for this purpose, namelyengagement of the projection 7 of lever 4 with the knurling 20 on theknob. The knob 10 is linked internally of the camera with the actualsetting instrumentalities (in a manner known per se and therefore notrequiring discussion), so that selecting of a certain film speed withthe knob results in setting the aperture size and/or exposure time ofthe camera as a function of this selection.

The lever 5 is located between the knob 10 and the camera wall on whichthe same is turnably mounted. Lever 5 is provided with a cut-out (notshown) or otherwise configurated so as not to interfere with the shaft(not shown) of knob 10. The lever 5 is pivotable about a pin 5' whichmounts it on the housing 1; it has a slot 13 into which a pin 12slidably extends. The pin 12 is embedded or otherwise secured to knob 10so as to turn with the same. A torsion spring 9 is mounted on pin 5' andhas two arms which respectively abut against a fixed stop 1a on housing1 and against a pin 11 carried by the lever 5. A projection 18 of lever5 extends through opening 3' into the film chamber 2 and constitutesfilm-characteristic scanning means, as will be explained later.

In the absence of engagement between projection 7 and the knurling 20,the spring 9 tilts lever 5 about pin 5' in anti-clockwise direction;this causes slot 13 to take along the pin 12 and via the same to turnthe knob 10, also anti-clockwise, to the lowest setting (e.g., here theillustrated DIN 18 film speed setting). When knob 10 is manually turnedin clockwise direction to select a different setting, this is doneagainst the urging of spring 9 and tilts lever 5 anti-clockwise. Duringsuch turning the projection 7 ratchets over the knurling 20; it arreststhe knob 10 in the selected position.

Manual operation is for those circumstances in which a film cassette isused which does not have a film-characteristic indicator. If, however, acassette 16 is used which is provided with such an indicator 17(corresponding to the one disclosed in copending application Ser. No.928,415 which is incorporated herein in its entirety), then setting ofthe camera is effected automatically.

This is because, on insertion of the cassette 16 with the indicator 17into the film chamber 2, an abutment edge 21 (whose location isindicative of e.g., the sensitivity of film in the cassette) onindicator 17 engages the projection 18 and pivots the lever 5 clockwiseduring progressive insertion of the cassette. Since lever 5 is coupledwith knob 10 via the pin-and-slot coupling 12, 13, this causes knob 10to turn in clockwise direction, to an extent determined by the clockwisetilting of lever 5, the degree of which is in turn a function of thelocation of abutment 21, i.e., of the distance of abutment 21 from theedge 17a. Such turning sets the camera as a function of the filmsensitivity and, due to the turning of the knob 10, also visuallyindicates to the camera user the speed of the film which is presently inthe camera. Turning of the knob 10 in this manner is made possible byengagement of an abutment 19 on indicator 17 with the projection 6 oflever 4. Such engagement displaces lever 4 (rightwards in the FIGURE) toan extent sufficient to disengage projection 7 from the knurling 20.Elements 6, 12 and 13 effect disengagement of the arresting means andmechanically set the knob 10, so that they may be thought of asdisengaging means in conjunction with lever 5.

The manual or automatic setting of the camera, as described above,remains unchanged until it is subsequently varied, either manually orautomatically.

The invention thus permits a camera to be set either manually orautomatically, in accordance with the requirements imposed by the use ofa film having a particular characteristic (e.g., speed). The solutionaccording to the invention is relatively inexpensive and, because it issimple, also largely resistant to malfunctions. The manual and automaticsetting procedures do not interfere with one another. The levermovements created by manual setting and those created by automaticsetting in effect complement one another; i.e., during manual settingthe lever movements for automatic setting are performed but in an "idle"mode, and vice versa. Since the knob 10 always turns, even duringautomatic setting, the user can immediately determine what type of filmis in the chamber 2. The abutments or camming surfaces 19, 21 and/orstill others could, of course, also be formed directly on a filmcassette, instead of the indicator 17.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in astill camera, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown,since various modifications and structural changes may be made withoutdeparting in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge,readily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims.
 1. In a camera, a combinationcomprising a housing having a chamber for a film container; manuallyoperable means movable to any of a plurality of positions for manuallysetting at least one camera function in dependence upon a characteristicof film being used in the camera; arresting means for arresting themanually operable means in the respectively set positions; scanning ameans for scanning a film container introduced into the camera todetermine the presence or absence of a film-characteristic mark on thecontainer; and combined means for disengaging said arresting means andfor thereupon mechanically operating said manually operable means, inresponse to detection of the presence of a film-characteristic mark onthe container and as a function of the characteristic indicated by thedetected mark.
 2. A combination as defined in claim 1; and furthercomprising an indicator member detachably connectable to the filmcontainer and provided with at least two camming surfaces, at least oneof which constitutes said mark.
 3. A combination as defined in claim 1,said mark being constituted by camming surfaces formed on the filmcontainer.
 4. A combination as defined in claim 1, said arresting meanshaving an arresting device, and said combined means including a firstlever which overrides said arresting device and a second lever whichmoves said manually operable means to one of said positions in responseto and as a function of the detection of a film-characteristic mark onthe film container.
 5. A combination as defined in claim 4, saidmanually operable means and said second lever being coupled for jointmovement by a pin-and-slot coupling of said combined means so as to eachshare the movement of the other.